


By the Grace of Andraste

by Cloud_Lightning



Series: This is the story of how I’ve fallen in Love with You [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Background Relationships, Canon Compliant, F/F, Leliana/Female Cousland - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-08-29 04:11:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16736850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cloud_Lightning/pseuds/Cloud_Lightning
Summary: Upon their first win against the High Dragon, people on Skyhold decided it’s time to hold a party. As a distraction, as a way to remind them that they are very much alive, as a way to show the world that they are a force to be reckoned with.The Herald of Andraste and The Ambassador slipped away from the celebration to have their own quiet moment.





	By the Grace of Andraste

**Author's Note:**

> i love them so much, please just let my babies be happy. also im so sorry if my english is kinda weird, not my first language im pretty much just use grammarly to check out my mistakes.

After killing a high dragon for the first time, everyone was in high spirit. Iron Bull decided that it was the perfect time to hold a party, to celebrate their victory. If they can defeat the high dragon, they can beat Corypheus. All of the advisors were agree, as long as they don’t go overboard. Evelyn Trevelyan herself announced the party; everyone cheered loudly.

It was such a beautiful sight to behold, after everything they’ve been through, they deserve this. They deserve something to ease their worries, even just for one night. Trevelyan smiled softly as she caught Bull at the courtyard with The Charger, he gave her two fingers salute and Krem pressed his fist to his chest. Dorian, standing next to Bull, smiled a little. While Sera, standing next to Dorian, as usual, had that mischief looks on her eyes. Evelyn just wished whatever prank she was planning, it won’t burn down Skyhold. But by the looks Sera gave to Dagna, Harding, and Bull, looked like her pray has gone unanswered. Maker, Evelyn could feel a headache coming already.

“How’s your wound, Inquisitor?” Cassandra asked from behind Evelyn.

“This?” Evelyn raised her right hand, sling over her shoulder. “It’s getting better,” she broke her arm when she was trying to save Cassandra from the Fereldan Frostback.

Cassandra was stunted after the dragon roared in front of her, Dorian was busy attacking the Dragonlings surrounding them, and Bull was laughing like madmen as he hit the dragon’s front left leg with his ax. Right before the dragon bite Cassandra, Evelyn rushed to her, grabbed Cassandra’s shield after dropping her dual weapon, and then she bashed the dragon’s jaw with it.

And that was her first mistake because after that, the Fereldan Frostback retailed by bashing Evelyn back, the shield was destroyed and her left arm broke due to the impact.

If it wasn’t for Bull delivering the final blow, they all would be dead.

Even after using a magic to heal her broken arm, it still stings every time she moved her arm. Dorian wasn’t really specialized in healing magic. One time Dorian joked about how the patient should die first and then he would revive them using his necromancer ability. It was an ill joke, even for his standard; Dorian blamed his pain for that. After he healed Evelyn’s arm with little knowledge he had on healing magic, Dorian suggested the Inquisitor to used sling for a while. At least until her arm is better. Cassandra did say it took a while for a wound from a dragon to heal, let alone a high dragon. Not to mention Evelyn took the blow directly. Bull laughed and maybe kind off jealous because of it?

_“It’s not like you can get your arm broken by a high dragon every day!” Bull said._

_“It’s not like you can deliver the final blow to kill a high dragon every day,” Evelyn sassed._

_A beat, then._

_“Huh, you’re right boss,” Bull starched his chin. “Man, I wish I could do both.”_

“I...”

“It’s alright, Cassandra, really,” Evelyn smiled. “We don’t know that we’ll encounter a dragon, we’re not prepared. Let’s make sure we are the next time we face a high dragon.”

“Then I will train harder,” Cassandra said as she bowed her head.

“Just don’t forget to rest, okay?” Evelyn patted Cassandra’s shoulder with her good hand.

Josephine just finished welcoming everyone that just arrived at Skyhold, and then processed to lay some ground rules for the party, along with Cullen. Half of the crowd booed when Cullen said something about curfew. Both of them stood almost at the edge of the stairs leading to the courtyard.

While Cullen tried to defend himself from the Inquisition force, Josephine looked over her shoulder, only to find the Inquisitor was already looking at her. Caught in action, Evelyn blushed and averted her eyes after she smiled at her.

Leliana watched every interaction in silent from behind Cassandra.

 

* * *

 

The night was still young, the tavern full with patrons. Nobles, soldiers, common people, everyone was there, drinking and celebrating their first kill of a high dragon. The Iron Bull was surrounded by soldiers and the Charger, no doubt he was currently spinning his tale about their fight against the high dragon. Dorian, on the other hand, surrounded by nobles that were curious about the Imperium. Evelyn asked Blackwall to keep Sera company until the tavern at least half empty, but it looks like it didn’t work because now Dagna already joined Sera and Blackwall, carrying something that looks like an orb. Maker, Evelyn’s head pounded and the prank hasn’t even begun.

“Don’t worry about Sera, Inquisitor,” Josephine’s voice was like music to Evelyn’s ears. “I already made a deal with her for tonight.”

“Oh?” Evelyn raised her eyebrow, watching in awe as Josephine sat gracefully next to her, wine glass on her left hand. “What kind of deal?”

“The one that she can’t refuse,” Josephine smiled mysteriously.

Evelyn raised her glass and smiled, thank the Maker, one disaster has been canceled.

“How is your arm, your worship?” Josephine asked as her right hand hovered above the sling.

“I’m fine, Josie,” Evelyn smiled. “You know you can call me by my name. This isn’t a formal occasion.”

“I apologize, I…” The Ambassador blushed slightly when the Herald of Andraste touched her arm lightly.

A smile from Evelyn finally made Josephine relaxed. It was that kind of smile reserved only for Josephine, at least according to everyone but the two of them. Because according to Josephine, Evelyn always smile like that to everyone not just to her, and Evelyn said that’s how she smiles. Everyone just sighed upon hearing their statement.

Their relationship was very much new. After Evelyn helped Josephine thwarted the contract to kill her, they rarely spent some time alone. That night after the confrontation with Leliana, and how Evelyn finally had the courage to tell Josephine about her true feeling for the Ambassador, they spent the night cuddling by the fire and just talked. They talked about everything and anything until Josephine fallen asleep on her shoulder and Evelyn didn’t have the heart to wake her up.

So she carried the Antivan noble to her chamber, bridal style, and that’s how Varric and Cassandra learned about their relationship. Evelyn mumbled how she should just let Josephine slept on her bed. Varric only chuckled and said something “about time, kid!” while Cassandra said she should call one of the servants to change Josephine’s clothes, unless their relationship already reached the point where Evelyn could change Josephine’s clothes on her own. The Inquisitor blushed and shook her head.

“Wicked Graceeeeee!!!!” Sera yelled from the top of her lung, and from the top of the table, her cries of joy made Evelyn tear her eyes away from Josephine’s beautiful smile.

“Do you want to join the game?” Evelyn asked.

Before Josephine could say something, a servant bowed her head to both of them.

“Evening, Lady Ambassador,” the servant addressed her; Josephine smiled and greeted him back. “Evening, Your Worship.”

“Evening, Roky,” Evelyn smiled. “Is something wrong with the garden?”

Roky was one of the servants tasked of taking care of the garden. When he first joined the Inquisition, he was wary because he didn’t have any skills. But then when Evelyn asked him whether or not he can tend a garden, he smiled widely and felt like he found his purpose. The Inquisition’s garden was mostly herbs and few flowers. He was amazed with the Inquisitor’s skill to find a rare seed. Evelyn smiled and said Leliana’s agents helped her in her quest of gathering those rare seeds.

“Nothing is wrong, Your Grace, I just want to report that most of the rare flowers are blooming right now,” he said. “Especially the Ardent Blossom,” he knew The Inquisitor was waiting for that flower to bloom ever since she planted it.

“Thank you, Roky,”

The man bowed before leaving the tavern.

“Ardent Blossom?” Josephine heard about this rare flower once. She even saw Cassandra wore it one time because she lost in a Wicked Grace against Varric.

“Yes, I’ve found the seed at Emerald Graves,” Evelyn smiled and stood up. “Would you do the honor of accompanying me to harvest them?” She stretched out her left hand.

Josephine would like to thank not only the Maker but Andraste herself for this distraction.

“I thought you never ask,” Josephine said as she took Evelyn’s hand.

Both of them giggled as they tried to navigate their way out of the tavern, without anyone noticing. Evelyn should thank Cullen and Sera because now the two of them were the center of the attention of the bar patrons’.

As the Inquisitor and the Ambassador left the tavern, a figure emerged from the dark corner of the tavern. A raven perched on their shoulder.

 

* * *

 

The walked to the garden was mostly silence, other than few times they stopped to greet people around Skyhold. It was after they arrived at the garden that Josephine thought what would those people think upon seeing her with the Inquisitor alone? Oh Maker.

“I didn’t know you love gardening, My Lady,” Josephine broke the silence.

“Well, back in Haven we don’t really have a place for gardening,” she said sadly. “And I never think that this hobby of mine is something important, so I never tell everyone.”

Evelyn walked few steps ahead from Josephine.

“At least not until Cassandra and Leliana found me knee-deep tending the garden,” Evelyn chuckled as she recalls the moment when the former Right and Left Hand of the Divine found her in the garden one morning, when she was trying repair the garden. She felt like she was being caught by her parents trying to steal cookies. Dirt was all over her clothes and face, but she smiled like a child, carefree and genuinely. She told Cassandra, how gardening actually helped her calm her anger. Just like how Cassandra used to punch those dummies or punching Bull in the face calm her down. Gardening had that effect on her.

Josephine sat on one of the chairs near the flower patch, while the Inquisitor looking over it with awe.

“So beautiful.”

“Almost as beautiful as you, my darling,” Josephine said in a hushed whisper, afraid someone would hear it.

But the Inquisitor heard it nonetheless. She smiled softly and looked over her shoulder tenderly towards Josephine. “Not as beautiful as you, my love.”

Josephine blushed, cheeks getting hotter with every second Evelyn looked at her.

The sound of a raven cawing made them startled and then chuckled lightly.

“Leliana always keeping an eye on you, huh?”

“I will have another conversation about this with her later,” Josephine pinched the bridge of her nose.

Evelyn chuckled and crouched down in front of the Ardent Blossom’s patch, she picked few flowers while humming a song they’ve just heard back at the tavern.

“I’ve been thinking,” Josephine said.

“About what?”

“About your reason of why you chose to ask for Leliana’s help regarding the assassination contract.”

Evelyn froze. She knew she shouldn’t do that, but that was the best option she could think of. If they tried to settle the dispute with politic, she was afraid more people would come to harm Josie’s family in an attempt to stop her from rebuilding the glory of the Montilyet family. Not to mention if the Du Paraquettes’ family try to finish what their ancestor has started. But if they deal with it from the shadow, no one would know about it, at least not so many.

“Josephine, I…”

“While I am glad you and Leliana bonded over your protectiveness over me,” Josephine said. “But I think you and Leliana are right. Elevating Du Paraquettes as a noble again was a risky move, but a noble one. But stealing the contract for ourselves is a better option, with the Du Paraquettes situation, they can’t order another hit on my family.”

Josephine sighed deeply. “Thank you, for showing me another option that doesn’t end up in bloodshed.”

“You should thank Leliana,” Evelyn said. “She and her agents do all the work.”

“I will, later.”

Faintly, they could hear the sound of celebration from the tavern or sometimes soft murmurs of prayers from the chapel near the garden. When the Inquisitor wanted to rebuild the garden, people were divided between those who want the garden to look like a Chantry’s garden, while others wanted the garden to be something like herbs garden. So the Inquisitor made a compromise, the garden was an herb garden, but they used few empty rooms near the garden as a chapel.

“Here, all done,” Evelyn suddenly said. She stood up carefully and walked towards the chair where Josephine sat.

Josephine gasped when she saw the Inquisitor cradled a flower crown on her hands. “Inquisitor, that is beautiful.”

“I’m sorry this is not as beautiful as the one we’ve found near the Suledin Keep,” Evelyn smiled sadly. “Making flower crown with one hand is really hard. May I?” She gestured to Josephine’s head.

“Of course.”

Slowly, Evelyn kneeled in front of Josephine. She lowered the flower crown to Josephine’s head. She tucked the Ambassador’s hair behind her ear. “You look so beautiful.”

A blushed would be an understatement, Josephine’s face and neck were really red. She was eye to eye with the Inquisitor; usually, Josephine has to lift her head slightly to be able to look at her. Evelyn may be younger than her, but the Herald of Andraste was taller than her. When she saw Evelyn licked her lips, suddenly Josephine has the urge to do the same.

Josie remembered the softness of the inquisitor's lips, pressing against her lips. Tender yet firm at the same time. She wished she could pull Evelyn closer by the nape of her neck, plant her lips against Evelyn's and steal her breath away.

Wait, she can do that, right?

And that was exactly what Josephine did.

The Inquisitor gasped by the sudden movement but then she sighed in relief and kisses Josie back.

Josephine cupped Evelyn face to keep her close, while Evelyn wrapped her good hand around Josephine’s waist. When the inquisitor wiped her tongue on Josie's lower lips, the Ambassador knew she was a goner. She let Evelyn pushed her tongue deeper into her mouth, and as the tip of her tongue slowly traced the top of her mouth, Josephine whimpered and gripped the Inquisitor’s left hand, her very much broken arm.

The Inquisitor gasped in pain and pulled away.

“Maker, I am so sorry, Evelyn,” Josephine said in a hurry, chest still heaving and face still flushed.

Evelyn laughed and shook her head. “It’s okay, maybe we need to slow down,” the Inquisitor looked as flushed as Josephine.

Josephine joined in the laughter as she bumped her forehead with Evelyn.

As their laughter finally died down, Josephine brushed Evelyn’s cheekbone with her knuckles. “I love you,” she said softly.

“And I love you,” Evelyn kissed Josephine’s knuckles tenderly.

They spent a few minutes just like this, looking at each other as if trying to record every tiny detail about the face of the woman they loved. Until the sound of a bell chimed in, a sign that it was time for the guards’ shift rotation.

“I guess we better get inside, huh?” Evelyn asked.

“You are right, it is getting cold.”

“I have a perfectly functioning fireplace in my chamber,” Evelyn said shyly. “I mean, if you want, it just, we haven’t really seen each other much, and…”

Josephine smiled, as cute as it was to see the mighty Herald of Andraste bumbling like this; she took control of the situation and kissed her softly on the lips. “I would love to cuddle by the fire with you, my love.”

Evelyn beamed.

As they walked together holding hands, they passed one of the flower patches that caught the Antivan’s noble.

“This flower looks familiar,” Josephine said.

“Oh, yes, I found the seed for this flower near the Fereldan Frostback’s nest,” Evelyn bent down to pick one of the flowers and gave it to Josephine. “But I can’t remember the name of the flower.”

Josephine thanked the Inquisitor for the flower and brought it to her nose, she inhaled the flower’s aroma deeply. The flowers petal was a little bit red-ish and pink. “Honestly, I can’t seem to remember this flower’s name as well.”

“We should ask Roky tomorrow,” Evelyn smiled when she saw Josephine tucked the flower to her left ear.

 

* * *

 

As the couple retreated from the garden, one of the ravens descended from the night sky. The raven croaked as it’s perched on someone’s shoulder. Slowly, the figure came out from the darkness; the soft glow from the moonlight illuminated the soft face of Sister Nightingale beneath her clocked hood.

She smiled sadly, some sort of melancholy looks clouded her eyes for a moment until it disappeared into the hard and cold blue she wore in public. Leliana crouched next to the flower patch, with shaky hands she touched the flowers. Leliana blinked a few times before she took out a book from her coat, when she opened it, revealing a dried flower.

 

_“By the grace of Andraste, you are so beautiful my love,” Elissa said softly before she kissed Leliana’s lips softly._

_Leliana blushed hard; it wasn’t the first time they kissed. It wasn’t the first time someone kissed her, but Elissa managed to make her feel young, as if their love was the first time for Leliana. As if she wasn’t a bard skilled in seductions and flirtatious._

_The Hero of Ferelden made her feel reborn, and accepted._

_The Warden-Commander Cousland made her feel loved._

_Elissa reminded her of home._

Leliana fell to her knees as she hugged the book tightly to her chest, sobbing into the darkness of the night as she whispered one name that always on her minds and prayer. “Elissa.”

**Author's Note:**

> look, i know the ardent blossom is not a flower's name. but like, how can i pass up the chance of writing a story where inky give josie a flower crown???
> 
> im usually hanging around tumblr, you can find me @nightwhite13 come and say hi if you wish


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